1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a system for remotely managing a machine by means of a central control apparatus such as a personal computer or the like by connecting the machine controlled by a control device, e.g., a micro-computer with the central control apparatus via communication means.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a laundrette, for example, wherein a plurality of clothes-washers and a plurality of dryers installed are used by the payment with coins or prepaid cards, when a management system that carries out centralized monitoring of the laundry machine to check the presence of failures, presence of troubles, and the sales amount and other information thereby to control the machine is introduced, the efficiency of management is improved because of the reduction of the number of personnel who go around the shops to inspect the laundry machine or to check the sales amount, etc. and also owing to the elimination of the necessity for visiting the shops.
In a remote management system disclosed in the Japanese Patent Application No.5-1820, for example, operations of a plurality of laundry machines such as clothes-washers and dryers set in the laundrettes are controlled by a microcomputer that takes in signals from rotational speed sensors, thermistors, micro switches, and the like respectively installed in several parts of each machine such as motors, drums, coin boxes and the like. Each laundry machine is provided with a plurality of switch sets each comprising a plurality of DIP switches, so that a combination of ON/OFF states of the DIP switches in each switch set determines the fine adjustment of the motor rotational speed, charges, etc.
The microcomputer controls the operations of the laundry machine according to the signals received from the sensors, stores the data such as the operation state, remaining time of operation, sales amount and the like, and transmits the data to a data controller (hereinafter called as the DTC) arranged per shop according to a request from a central control apparatus. Each DTC is connected to the central control apparatus using a personal computer disposed in a management company via a public telephone line.
In such a remote management system of the prior art as above, when the central control apparatus transmits a request signal for monitoring the operation state, remaining time of operation, sales amount, etc. to the DTC, the DTC feeds a transmission request to the microcomputer of the subject machine. The microcomputer returns the requested data to the DTC and the DTC transmits the received data to the central control apparatus via the public telephone line. On the other hand, in the event of a trouble such as a failure, an abnormality of the machine, stealing of the sales or the like, the microcomputer of the laundry machine in trouble stops the operation of the machine and outputs a transmission request for the central control apparatus to the DTC. When the DTC makes a response, the microcomputer transmits data notifying the occurrence of the trouble to the DTC. The DTC calls the central control apparatus in order to transmit the received trouble data and, when the central control apparatus responds, transmits the data indicating the occurrence of the trouble. Upon receipt of the data, the central control apparatus gives a screen display, an alarm, etc., to inform the personnel of the trouble being occurred.
However, in the remote management system of the prior art, to change the set values according to revising of the rate of charges, or the using conditions of the laundry machine requires the dispatch of the personnel, who in turn manipulates the DIP switches to change the combination of the ON/OFF states as well as the set values. This results in high management costs. Also because the personnel must operate a number of DIP switches for each laundry machine, the management is eventually carried out low in efficiency.
Likewise, in the remote management system of the prior art, because only the information indicating the occurrence of the trouble in the machine is transmitted to the central control apparatus, the restoration of the troubled portion by the personnel takes much time before the troubled portion is located, leading to the deterioration in the efficiency of management.
Further in the remote management system of the prior art, it is obliged to send the personnel to the shop to reset the control device such as the microcomputer and restore the machine to the normal operable state every time the machine is brought in trouble regardless of the type of the trouble, therefore increasing costs for management.
Also in the remote management system of the prior art, because the microcomputer installed in the machine must store the data related to the operation of the machine until a transmission request from the central control apparatus is received, a memory of a large capacity is necessitated, making the machine and also the overall system cost high.